Chapter 10 - The New CEO
-10-
Ten days after the night that changed everything, the executive boardroom on the fiftieth floor of Aurelia & Co. was silent, bathed in the sharp, glittering afternoon sunlight of a crisp October afternoon.
The room had been completely purged. Every executive who had owed allegiance to Uncle Robert had either been fired, suspended, or indicted by federal prosecutors. The mahogany walls had been stripped of the dusty, intimidating portraits of seventeenth-century barons that Robert had loved so much, replaced by sleek, modern art and large windows that offered an unobstructed, panoramic view of the entire Manhattan skyline.
I stood at the head of the polished glass conference table, wearing a tailored charcoal pantsuit and a crisp white silk blouse. The bruise on my cheek had completely healed, leaving no trace of the violence that had once marked my skin. On my ring finger rested a brand-new platinum band—not a diamond engagement ring given by a deceitful husband, but a heavy family signet ring bearing the Ironwood crest, passed down from my grandfather.
The heavy double doors of the boardroom swung open, and Marcus stepped inside, followed by a court-appointed bailiff and two corporate security officers.
Between them walked Nathan.
He looked unrecognizable. Gone was the arrogant billionaire CEO in custom Italian suits. He wore an orange federal jumpsuit, his wrists shackled in heavy steel cuffs that clinked rhythmically against the carpeted floor with every step. His hair was unwashed, his shoulders slumped, and his eyes stared blankly at the floor as he was led toward the chair opposite me.
“Sit down, Nathan,” I said, my voice carrying a cool, effortless authority that made him flinch.
The guards pushed him gently into the leather chair, unhooked one of his cuffs so he could sign his name, and stepped back toward the doors, leaving us alone in the massive glass room.
Nathan didn't look up for a long time. When he finally raised his bloodshot eyes to meet mine, his expression was a pathetic mask of pure desperation.
“Emma...” he whispered, his voice cracking horribly. “Please. The prosecutor said... he said if you sign a character attestation statement, they’ll drop the conspiracy charges down to a lesser fraud count. I’ll go to prison for two years instead of fifteen. Please. We were married. We shared a life.”
I didn't move. I didn't blink. I simply picked up a golden fountain pen from the desk and laid it gently across the top of a thick document resting on the glass table.
“You shared a life with my bank account, Nathan,” I said quietly. “You married me because you thought I was a soft, obedient heiress who would fund your corporate ambitions while you slept with your administrative assistant and plotted with my uncle to steal my inheritance.”
“I was manipulated!” Nathan cried out, slamming his shackled hands onto the table with a desperate crash. “Robert threatened to ruin me! He said if I didn't help him forge the transfer deeds, he would destroy my career! I didn't want to hurt you, Emma!”
“And yet,” I replied, my voice dropping into an icy register that made the air in the room feel ten degrees colder, “when you slapped me twice in the middle of this very company’s flagship store... you weren't thinking about Robert’s threats. You were enjoying every single second of it because you genuinely believed I was completely powerless.”
Nathan stared at me, his lower lip trembling as the sheer magnitude of his irreversible mistake finally crushed down upon him.
“The document in front of you isn't a character attestation, Nathan,” I said, tapping the corner of the paper with my fingernail. “It’s your final, unconditional divorce settlement and corporate non-compete agreement. You waive all claims to any marital assets, corporate shares, or financial support. You walk away with zero dollars, zero shares, and a felony record that will ensure you never work in finance or luxury retail again for the rest of your natural life.”
Nathan stared at the paper as if it were a death warrant. “If I sign this... what happens to me?”
“You go to federal prison for twelve years, Nathan,” I answered without a single ounce of hesitation. “Just like Robert. And just like Celeste, who is currently serving her first month in Bedford Hills.”
He stared at me for a long, agonizing moment, realizing there was no mercy left in my heart—because mercy was something people like him only exploited. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he picked up the golden fountain pen and signed his name at the bottom of the page.
As the ink dried, the guards stepped forward, hauling him roughly to his feet.
“Get him out of my sight,” I commanded softly.
Without another word, Nathan was dragged out of the boardroom, the heavy double doors closing behind him with a final, echoing thud.
I stood up, walked over to the floor-to-ceiling glass window, and looked out at the city stretching out endlessly beneath the afternoon sun.
My empire. My rules. My bloodline.
Yet, as I watched the distant traffic move like tiny ants along the asphalt below, a faint, lingering thought crossed my mind.
May you like
If my father had really gone into hiding fifteen years ago to protect me from the syndicate...
Where was he now?
